The line of piers stretching the length of Stromness survives today much as it was in the late 19th century. Although the way the piers are used has changed, they remain an important part of Stromness' identity. 'Listening to the piers' explores the changing relationships between people and the piers.

History of the piers

‘The houses between the street and the water are frequently built below high-water mark; and piers or quays jut out from them into the harbour, at which small vessels unload, and the poor fish for sillocks..’ Charles Clouston on Stromness 1862

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‘Stromness was to be no model village….The only plan was to fit as many buildings and piers as practically possible into the narrow, uneven strips between the hill and the sea….[The stone masons] built the slips and piers where small vessels would tie up at high tide to load or disperse their cargoes; and where officers of the passing trade – chiefly the larger vessels that moored offshore – could land to conduct their business and enjoy a convivial glass at one or other house of refreshment.’– Bryce Wilson, Stromness, A History 2016